Under Authority – Jesus was – and the Centurion was – that is what the Centurion could see and know and have faith for. The Centurion, we learned in VBS day 3, TRUE NORTH, was a Roman Officer who commanded at least 100 men and he marched them respectfully right towards Jesus – not to hassle the Jewish people but to talk to Him. The Centurion asked the healer in Jesus to have mercy on his servant at home – not even go there because the Centurion felt Jesus was more worthy than he could host – but “just say the word, and he will be healed” – This Centurion knew to TRUST JESUS.

The “under authority” part of this encounter is what we often miss – the Centurion picked out the one thing that Jesus knew was NOT on the minds of the regular people around Him – that He was doing His Father’s Business – and we need to also be about Our Father’s Business – which was also parallel in the lesson in humbling one’s self to accept that Jesus is God and we need Him. Jesus said to the Centurion that He had not seen such faith in Israel and yet this Gentile will be one day found in the Kingdom of Heaven too. We as Gentiles or as Jews will be healed one day – completely – in the Kingdom of Heaven – healed from sin and wrongfulness and health as well. We (and the people in Jesus’s earth time) focus SO MUCH on physical health we neglect knowing that our emotional health and our TRUST will be re-established by Jesus too – Our Spirits are also to be better “under authority”…  

“Under Authority” would serve us well in dealing with day to day life on earth – here and now… Our “emotional quotient EQ” or maturity is studied by business and social colleagues alike. If we could only be “under authority” more in Faith – and trust – and believe what the Good Lord has been trying to tell us all along – like in Jeremiah 29:11 He KNOWS the Plans He has for us – to prosper us and give us a future…  If only we could BELIEVE this Plan – we would be able to follow it better.

Have Faith… The Centurion did – “But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I ALSO am a man under authority,” – Jesus HAS the authority of God over sin and darkness – and Jesus is UNDER authority to BE GOD – to do His Father’s business – and to LOVE and HEAL… And sacrifice until we all get there.

At work (and at VBS) yesterday, I tried really hard to watch the plan the Lord had that day – it was a busy day but a real opportunity to trust in Him – because things that would be obvious to Him – in how we should act and know – are not always obvious to us… We have to WATCH and WAIT for maneuvers (which is the wrong word – “man”euvers is best with “GOD”euvers – WATCH FOR GOD) – and I watched what the Lord display roads to take out in front of me at work about my future – and I appreciated His Show of Power and a Plan… (and for the science Imagination Station, we used mighty wires which when bent would bend back under hot water!)

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us we have God to trust – and what about the rest of Jeremiah 29? Verse 12 says we are to call on God – come to God – PRAY to God. SEEK…  Ah that is a big part of the plan – SEEKING HIM… TRUSTING HIM in Faith when we can’t see the results we want. and then Verse 14 – God says HE WILL BE FOUND… Jeremiah spoke both of the israelites captive in Babylon for the prescribed 70 years – but also us – captive in a broken world here on earth – captive to the sin and craze of the evil one influencing here and there and everywhere – captive to our “me me me” attitude too. Jeremiah as a prophet can tell us what we SHOULD KNOW – that Jesus will bring us back to Himself – to GOD…  

AMEN AMEN – Stick with God – He is UNDER AUTHORITY to LOVE – and will use HIS Power over our powerlessness.

Amen

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Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant (Matthew 8:5-13 NKJV)
Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I ALSO am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

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Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”